Podcast with Darren Kuropatwa

This is the first in a series of podcasts being done for LEARN. It is an interview with Darren Kuropatwa about the upcoming K12Online Conference.


Listen to the podcast here:

Show Notes

K12 Online Conference
Don't forget if you blog the conference to tag your post as k12online or K12online06

Darren Kuropatwa's blog:
A Difference
Inspiration for the conference came from the
Higher EdBlogCon Conference

TechCrunch
Hitchhikr

David Warlick's
blog
David Warlick's podcasts
Bud Hunt's blog
Ewan McIntosh's blog
Anne Davis' blog

From Anne Davis' blog:
Seize the Time
EdTechTalk
The Thinking Stick
Jeff Utecht

Technorati Tags: K12online

Best Practice

David Warlick blogged about best practices - what are they and who defines them as such. I really liked Terry Freedman's response

The very concept of “best practice” is flawed: best practice for whom? Who says it’s “best” practice? In the UK we (ie the educational tech community, including government agencies, have moved away from highlighting so-called best practice and towards interesting practice. What can I, for example, take from watching you and bring back to my own school? What works for you may not work in my context — but there may be one or two ideas I can adapt, if not adopt.

What is really important is the notion of sharing. So many teachers still teach in classrooms with the doors closed, not welcoming collaboration. David Warlick has also been talking about designing a new school. I think a crucial aspect has to be time. Give teachers the time to prepare and to talk together about pedagogy. Overload is a serious issue.

I have a particular concern for my home turf.

In the province of Quebec there is a shortage of math teachers among others. People are being hired to teach who have the content background but not the teacher training. I really wonder if we will see any best practices coming out of those teachers or if they will turn to "chalk and talk" as their method of delivery. I hope they will be getting inservice and will truly become teachers and not just content deliverers.

Technorati Tags: education

K12 Online 2006

I am very excited about the upcoming K12 Online 2006 conference and would encourage people to take part. I will certainly set aside some time to participate. I had the pleasure of meeting Darren this summer and know that anything he does will be done well.
Here are some highlights from Darren's post about the conference:

Announcing the first annual “K12 Online 2006″ convention for teachers, administrators and educators around the world interested in the use of Web 2.0 tools in classrooms and professional practice. This year’s conference is scheduled to be held over two weeks, Oct. 23-27 and Oct. 30- Nov. 3 with the theme “Unleashing the Potential.” A call for proposals is below.

There will be four “conference strands”– two each week. Two presentations will be published in each strand each day, Monday - Friday, so four new presentations will be available each day over the course of the two-weeks. Each presentation will be given in podcast or screencast format and released via the conference blog (URL: TBA) and archived for posterity.

THE FOUR STRANDS ARE:

Week 1

Strand A: A Week In The Classroom
Strand B: Basic/Advanced Training (one of each per day)

Week 2

Strand A: Personal Professional Development
Strand B: Overcoming Obstacles

So far there will be keynotes by
Bud Hunt, Ewan McIntosh, Anne Davis

Anyone interested in presenting should get in touch with Darren Kuropatwa Sheryl Nusbaum-Beach or Will Richardson

Technorati Tags: k12online06